It's clear to me that management has no faith in Sparks. I know that he had a great season but the fact that Pickard was the only goalie besides Andersen and Mac to get in a game with Leafs speaks volumes. Not sure why Pickard hasn't played in playoffs but he'll probably be in tomorrow. Woll is the goalie of the future. Maybe near future.

Pierre Engvall's here on a PTO and his rights expire soon, but it's safe to say that he's earned himself a contract. 8 points in 9 regular season games and 3 points in 5 playoff games since coming over.

Nielsen would be a healthy scratch right now if either Rosen or Borgman weren't hurt.

Poor Jesper Lindgren

He didn't really stand a chance with those other 3 righties.

I'd be very curious to see which of Borgman or Rosen would be scratched if they were both healthy. Marincin and Dermott would both be locked in.

That Marlies D is insanely stacked by AHL standards.

Lindgren sitting makes sense. I don't think we have any RD that can play LD.

I think Borgman would've sat in favour of Rosen, who has been on fire lately and has a more mature game away from the puck. Rosen does have a tendency to overshoot from low percentage opportunities though (it is a nice shot nonetheless).

I think Borgman would've sat in favour of Rosen, who has been on fire lately and has a more mature game away from the puck. Rosen does have a tendency to overshoot from low percentage opportunities though (it is a nice shot nonetheless).

I think that that's probably what would have happened, and it's just crazy that a guy who played 48 NHL games this season could have possibly been a healthy scratch in the AHL playoffs.

Should we read anything into the fact that since prospects Eemeli Rasanen and Keaton Middleton's playoff runs ended, that they weren't invited to join the Marlies on ATOs to experience a professional playoff atmosphere? Middleton's rights expire prior to the draft and if he fails to sign a contract, he will re-enter the draft.

Should we read anything into the fact that since prospects Eemeli Rasanen and Keaton Middleton's playoff runs ended, that they weren't invited to join the Marlies on ATOs to experience a professional playoff atmosphere? Middleton's rights expire prior to the draft and if he fails to sign a contract, he will re-enter the draft.

Bet your bottom dollar that Middleton isn't getting an NHL contract. Really though, there are much better defensemen getting scratched at the moment for the Marlies anyways.

Should we read anything into the fact that since prospects Eemeli Rasanen and Keaton Middleton's playoff runs ended, that they weren't invited to join the Marlies on ATOs to experience a professional playoff atmosphere? Middleton's rights expire prior to the draft and if he fails to sign a contract, he will re-enter the draft.

Rasanen's OHL playoffs only ended last week, but he's joined the Marlies today. Probably just needed a bit of a break to recover from some bumps and bruises.

Should we read anything into the fact that since prospects Eemeli Rasanen and Keaton Middleton's playoff runs ended, that they weren't invited to join the Marlies on ATOs to experience a professional playoff atmosphere? Middleton's rights expire prior to the draft and if he fails to sign a contract, he will re-enter the draft.

Rasanen's OHL playoffs only ended last week, but he's joined the Marlies today. Probably just needed a bit of a break to recover from some bumps and bruises.

I don't see him getting any playoff ice time barring catastrophic injury to the left side, as he's largely an unknown quantity to the coaching staff and is generally with the Marlies as more of a development team project. The lack of Middleton is interesting.

The other large d-man of 2016, Nicolas Mattinen, is playing for the OHL finals with the Hamilton Bulldogs against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. It's going to be a... dogfight.

We were talking about the impact that Andreas Johnsson and Travis Dermott and the impact they had in Game 5. It’s not always easy for a player to come down from the NHL level, especially from a playoff series like the one the Leafs played against the Bruins. Why was that transition kind of seamless for those two players?

Keefe: I think a big part of it you can attribute to their personality. Both guys are very positive people with great energy about them. I don’t think in any way do they feel they’re above this or that playing at this level is beneath them coming off of just finishing playing a Game 7. They were excited to come in. The circumstances were that it was an elimination game for both games, with a Game 5 in a best-of-five series. They were excited to be able to come in and make an impact. The other part of it is that both players — I listened to both of their interviews — said it felt like home, like this was where they’ve spent time and where they’ve been playing. They know the players and coaches, and what the expectations are. Those type of things make for a more seamless transition. Certainly, it’s a nice luxury for us to be able to add them in a game of that magnitude and we’re excited to have them moving forward.

The entire city would love to see the Leafs acquire a right-handed shot on the blue line that is not too expensive, that can be dynamic, that can also be responsible in their own end. On that note, how has Timothy Liljegren been this season?

Keefe: He’s been good. It’s not easy to be an 18-year-old defenseman in the AHL. There have certainly been times when you can tell he’s an 18-year-old defenseman playing in the American league and he’s trying to find his way and figure out how to use his unique skill set that he has — not only in a league with faster men and all of those types of things, but a smaller ice surface and a different style of play than he’s accustomed to. That’s taken some time, but he’s been a constant on our power play and really helps us there. He moves the puck really well and efficiently. Perhaps the thing I’m most impressed with is how physical he’s been and how he’s handled the physical play. At times, he maybe loses battles, but he gets right up and gets right into it. He’s not shy; he’s not afraid. Those are very good signs because the skill set is a very good one, for sure. As he continues to mature, and gets quicker and stronger, all of these things will just thrive that much more. We’re excited for him for sure and we think this season has been a very productive one.

Should we read anything into the fact that since prospects Eemeli Rasanen and Keaton Middleton's playoff runs ended, that they weren't invited to join the Marlies on ATOs to experience a professional playoff atmosphere? Middleton's rights expire prior to the draft and if he fails to sign a contract, he will re-enter the draft.

Rasanen's OHL playoffs only ended last week, but he's joined the Marlies today. Probably just needed a bit of a break to recover from some bumps and bruises.

I don't see him getting any playoff ice time barring catastrophic injury to the left side, as he's largely an unknown quantity to the coaching staff and is generally with the Marlies as more of a development team project. The lack of Middleton is interesting.

The other large d-man of 2016, Nicolas Mattinen, is playing for the OHL finals with the Hamilton Bulldogs against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. It's going to be a... dogfight.

We were talking about the impact that Andreas Johnsson and Travis Dermott and the impact they had in Game 5. It’s not always easy for a player to come down from the NHL level, especially from a playoff series like the one the Leafs played against the Bruins. Why was that transition kind of seamless for those two players?

Keefe: I think a big part of it you can attribute to their personality. Both guys are very positive people with great energy about them. I don’t think in any way do they feel they’re above this or that playing at this level is beneath them coming off of just finishing playing a Game 7. They were excited to come in. The circumstances were that it was an elimination game for both games, with a Game 5 in a best-of-five series. They were excited to be able to come in and make an impact. The other part of it is that both players — I listened to both of their interviews — said it felt like home, like this was where they’ve spent time and where they’ve been playing. They know the players and coaches, and what the expectations are. Those type of things make for a more seamless transition. Certainly, it’s a nice luxury for us to be able to add them in a game of that magnitude and we’re excited to have them moving forward.

The entire city would love to see the Leafs acquire a right-handed shot on the blue line that is not too expensive, that can be dynamic, that can also be responsible in their own end. On that note, how has Timothy Liljegren been this season?

Keefe: He’s been good. It’s not easy to be an 18-year-old defenseman in the AHL. There have certainly been times when you can tell he’s an 18-year-old defenseman playing in the American league and he’s trying to find his way and figure out how to use his unique skill set that he has — not only in a league with faster men and all of those types of things, but a smaller ice surface and a different style of play than he’s accustomed to. That’s taken some time, but he’s been a constant on our power play and really helps us there. He moves the puck really well and efficiently. Perhaps the thing I’m most impressed with is how physical he’s been and how he’s handled the physical play. At times, he maybe loses battles, but he gets right up and gets right into it. He’s not shy; he’s not afraid. Those are very good signs because the skill set is a very good one, for sure. As he continues to mature, and gets quicker and stronger, all of these things will just thrive that much more. We’re excited for him for sure and we think this season has been a very productive one.

Can someone put Liljegren into a time machine to get another year or two of Marlies development and send him back to today? That would be very helpful.

I haven't seen him play but is he another that could potentially play for the big club next year?

Engvall's SHL contract has expired, and I think he's earned an ELC with his recent showings, helping a depleted Marlies squad coast into the playoffs. I think he gets at least another year with the Marlies to get acclimated with the North American game; he needs more skating work and room to grow into a less peripheral game (given his size).

More likely to make the jump is Carl Grundstrom, who is a more offensively oriented version of Zach Hyman. On the backend, we might see Justin Holl, given the presumed departure of Roman Polak.

The height difference between Engvall and Moore/Brooks in that is hilarious.

He has quite the wingspan, nice thing is he seems to know exactly where to go and you can see he snipes exactly were he is looking

The most hilarious thing is how Syracuse left a 6'4" giant in the middle of the ice literally uncontested.

Engvall has started getting into more dangerous ice this season; he was pretty tentative last year, so it's a great sign, as he can certainly make his opportunities count.

I haven't seen him play but is he another that could potentially play for the big club next year?

Well, we have to sign him to a contract first (he's on a PTO right now). If we don't sign him by June 1st of this year, he becomes a free-agent. I have my doubts he'd be play for the big club next year as you've got the following ahead of him on LW:

Hyman (who I'd prefer playing RW, but we have too many guys there)MarleauJohnssonGrundstrom

And the following in the same class, but with more experience in North America

MooreTimashovMarchment

Its interesting to see the prospect depth chart these days, look at their ages, and determine at what point do you say if a player is no more than a fringe NHLer or still has enough room to improve to be more than a fringe NHLer. Keeping in mind that most players these days have their best seasons from age 23-25, essentially, if you are 23 now... you gotta look like you are NHL ready now or you won't be more than just an injury callup.

Here is our list of forwards 24 or under in descending order (of age) with position and age listed. I've only included guys who either stand out as early round picks or current Marlies. I also included current Leafs to compare the ages of some of our prospects to guys who have already established themselves in the NHL.

You don't think two best friends who are both F-to-D converts from the same Minnesotan neighbourhood with a penchant for pinching plays and patient first passes wouldn't be really funny to see play together?

You don't think two best friends who are both F-to-D converts from the same Minnesotan neighbourhood with a penchant for pinching plays and patient first passes wouldn't be really funny to see play together?

I think what new-Frank meant is that there would be nothing funny about how incredibly effective those two would be together on the ice.

Notice it was Engvall who dug the puck out of the corner, made a sleek move to the net, fired the shot that Freddie picked up and fired into the net. Perhaps the Goat should play from his knees more often.

Notice it was Engvall who dug the puck out of the corner, made a sleek move to the net, fired the shot that Freddie picked up and fired into the net. Perhaps the Goat should play from his knees more often.

To bring myself back down to earth, I also need to remember that Ben Smith has 5 points, and Martin f'ing Marincin is tied for 2nd on the team with 6 assists...no goals, mind you, but also none of these 6 points were on the PP.

A wise move, per the analytics & research team's findings on B2B performances.

I mean, it's not even a R&D thing. Sparks played 1.5 games less than 24 hours earlier, it was kind of a no-brainer. I'm surprised that Syracuse didn't do the same thing. Their starter played both games and obviously got lit up in the second game.

Also, scheduling a back-to-back in the playoffs is such an AHL thing to do.

A wise move, per the analytics & research team's findings on B2B performances.

I mean, it's not even a R&D thing. Sparks played 1.5 games less than 24 hours earlier, it was kind of a no-brainer. I'm surprised that Syracuse didn't do the same thing. Their starter played both games and obviously got lit up in the second game.

Also, scheduling a back-to-back in the playoffs is such an AHL thing to do.

I am surprised too. If it's as obvious a hockey move to play your other goalie after your previous one played 1.5 games the day before (+ travel)... did they lose faith in Pasquale? A tired great player is always worse than a fresh good player.

The Marlies shredded Ingram for 7 goals on 30 shots, with the majority of them coming on rush chances or Royal Road plays (or both).

It was already hard to imagine Johnsson not on the main roster next year but the start to the AHL playoffs should make it abundantly clear that he is done with this level.

I really hope the Marlies can parlay their season into a Calder Cup. I know it doesn't mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, but just to get the young guys used to being the best team in the league and winning it all. I want them to know what it takes to go 4 rounds and win, and have that hungry feeling in the NHL as well.

To bring myself back down to earth, I also need to remember that Ben Smith has 5 points, and Martin f'ing Marincin is tied for 2nd on the team with 6 assists...no goals, mind you, but also none of these 6 points were on the PP.

Very very often guys who put up big numbers in the AHL can't hack it in the NHL. Game is that much quicker- mostly on decision making and quick plays in tight, not necessarily faster skaters. I think that applies to Ben Smith and Seth Griffith (sorry herman)

However, I think Marincin may end up in another NHL organization next year and blossom- assuming its not a high-pressure situation. He seems like a guy who gets in his own head to much, and in a place like Toronto (or Edmonton) where the wolves are out whenever you aren't playing well, he just hasn't been able to get out of his own head. He's sooo dominant in the AHL its laughable how much his play seems to degrade when he's in the NHL. Quick decision making and quick plays are definitely not his strong suit, but he still does enough well that he should be an everyday NHLer.

To bring myself back down to earth, I also need to remember that Ben Smith has 5 points, and Martin f'ing Marincin is tied for 2nd on the team with 6 assists...no goals, mind you, but also none of these 6 points were on the PP.

Very very often guys who put up big numbers in the AHL can't hack it in the NHL. Game is that much quicker- mostly on decision making and quick plays in tight, not necessarily faster skaters. I think that applies to Ben Smith and Seth Griffith (sorry herman)

However, I think Marincin may end up in another NHL organization next year and blossom- assuming its not a high-pressure situation. He seems like a guy who gets in his own head to much, and in a place like Toronto (or Edmonton) where the wolves are out whenever you aren't playing well, he just hasn't been able to get out of his own head. He's sooo dominant in the AHL its laughable how much his play seems to degrade when he's in the NHL. Quick decision making and quick plays are definitely not his strong suit, but he still does enough well that he should be an everyday NHLer.

So Marincin is tailor made for a Carolina type situation where nobody cares about the hockey team.

To bring myself back down to earth, I also need to remember that Ben Smith has 5 points, and Martin f'ing Marincin is tied for 2nd on the team with 6 assists...no goals, mind you, but also none of these 6 points were on the PP.

Very very often guys who put up big numbers in the AHL can't hack it in the NHL. Game is that much quicker- mostly on decision making and quick plays in tight, not necessarily faster skaters. I think that applies to Ben Smith and Seth Griffith (sorry herman)

However, I think Marincin may end up in another NHL organization next year and blossom- assuming its not a high-pressure situation. He seems like a guy who gets in his own head to much, and in a place like Toronto (or Edmonton) where the wolves are out whenever you aren't playing well, he just hasn't been able to get out of his own head. He's sooo dominant in the AHL its laughable how much his play seems to degrade when he's in the NHL. Quick decision making and quick plays are definitely not his strong suit, but he still does enough well that he should be an everyday NHLer.

So Marincin is tailor made for a Carolina type situation where nobody cares about the hockey team.

Alex Lyon stops 94-95 shots in this game (and LOSES!!!!). To bad he is property of Phili

:o

Loses??

The guy that stopped 94 of 95 won, the other dude stopped 51 of 53 and lost.

And that's why I was wondering why LuncheonMeat put loses in there.

I only wish it went a bit further so he could have faced 100 shots in a game.

Apparently the 94 saves in 95 shots isn't even a record. The AHL mark for most saves in a game belongs to Michael Leighton , who stopped 98 shots for the Albany River Rats in a 3-2, five-overtime loss to the Phantoms on April 24, 2008....so he did have 101 shots against. Crazy...

Alex Lyon stops 94-95 shots in this game (and LOSES!!!!). To bad he is property of Phili

:o

Loses??

The guy that stopped 94 of 95 won, the other dude stopped 51 of 53 and lost.

And that's why I was wondering why LuncheonMeat put loses in there.

I only wish it went a bit further so he could have faced 100 shots in a game.

Apparently the 94 saves in 95 shots isn't even a record. The AHL mark for most saves in a game belongs to Michael Leighton , who stopped 98 shots for the Albany River Rats in a 3-2, five-overtime loss to the Phantoms on April 24, 2008....so he did have 101 shots against. Crazy...

Finland out at worlds. Anyone know if Kappy can suit up for the Marlies playoff run now ?

Yes he can. Doesn't mean they will ask him to.

My understanding is that Kasperi Kapanen is eligible to rejoin the Marlies now that Finland has been eliminated from Worlds. That doesnâ€™t mean he will. He may want to start his offseason/go home to Finland. But he can.

Finland out at worlds. Anyone know if Kappy can suit up for the Marlies playoff run now ?

Yes he can. Doesn't mean they will ask him to.

My understanding is that Kasperi Kapanen is eligible to rejoin the Marlies now that Finland has been eliminated from Worlds. That doesnâ€™t mean he will. He may want to start his offseason/go home to Finland. But he can.

what a game, was impressed with Timashov, Johnsson, Engvall and a lot of others, Holl was brutal in the first half of the game but settled down nicely. Sparks is great, he should be our new McBackup, perhaps the old one can be packaged with some others for some picks or a prospect. Started out 2 up, went to 3-2 for the Evil Doers and won 4-2 We almost shot ourselves in the foot a few times but prevailed.

The more I watch Johnsson the more excited I get about his potential, he was an absolute force on the Grundstrom goal and then his wraparound was fantastic. His passes to Aaltonen in the first games of this series were sublime.

As mentioned before 4th line on Leafs next season Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom

The more I watch Johnsson the more excited I get about his potential, he was an absolute force on the Grundstrom goal and then his wraparound was fantastic. His passes to Aaltonen in the first games of this series were sublime.

As mentioned before 4th line on Leafs next season Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom

The more I watch Johnsson the more excited I get about his potential, he was an absolute force on the Grundstrom goal and then his wraparound was fantastic. His passes to Aaltonen in the first games of this series were sublime.

As mentioned before 4th line on Leafs next season Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom

I think Johnsson has more than 4th line potential due to how smart and easy to coach he is. I like Grundstrom as a complementary scoring option as well.

The more I watch Johnsson the more excited I get about his potential, he was an absolute force on the Grundstrom goal and then his wraparound was fantastic. His passes to Aaltonen in the first games of this series were sublime.

As mentioned before 4th line on Leafs next season Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom

With JvR gone Johnsson is already looking like our 3rd line LW. Heck, if I was drawing up a lineup, I think he'd be on the 1st line:

The more I watch Johnsson the more excited I get about his potential, he was an absolute force on the Grundstrom goal and then his wraparound was fantastic. His passes to Aaltonen in the first games of this series were sublime.

As mentioned before 4th line on Leafs next season Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom

With JvR gone Johnsson is already looking like our 3rd line LW. Heck, if I was drawing up a lineup, I think he'd be on the 1st line:

The more I watch Johnsson the more excited I get about his potential, he was an absolute force on the Grundstrom goal and then his wraparound was fantastic. His passes to Aaltonen in the first games of this series were sublime.

As mentioned before 4th line on Leafs next season Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom

With JvR gone Johnsson is already looking like our 3rd line LW. Heck, if I was drawing up a lineup, I think he'd be on the 1st line:

The more I watch Johnsson the more excited I get about his potential, he was an absolute force on the Grundstrom goal and then his wraparound was fantastic. His passes to Aaltonen in the first games of this series were sublime.

As mentioned before 4th line on Leafs next season Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom

With JvR gone Johnsson is already looking like our 3rd line LW. Heck, if I was drawing up a lineup, I think he'd be on the 1st line:

The more I watch Johnsson the more excited I get about his potential, he was an absolute force on the Grundstrom goal and then his wraparound was fantastic. His passes to Aaltonen in the first games of this series were sublime.

As mentioned before 4th line on Leafs next season Johnsson-Aaltonen-Grundstrom

With JvR gone Johnsson is already looking like our 3rd line LW. Heck, if I was drawing up a lineup, I think he'd be on the 1st line:

I would put Grundstrom in there somewhere. I do think we need an upgrade somewhere on the forwards though.... Come on Dubas with some out of the box thinking!

Given Grundstrom's age etc, I'm not sure I'd want him getting limited 4th line minutes over getting big minutes on the Marlies- at least to start the year. If he's dominating the AHL mid-season, ala Johnsson was earlier this year, then bring him up.

What are the chances Sparks is our backup next season? I just can't figure out whether he's for real, or whether he's a AHL lifer sort of guy. My heart tells me AHL lifer, but he's certainly been tearing up the AHL.

What are the chances Sparks is our backup next season? I just can't figure out whether he's for real, or whether he's a AHL lifer sort of guy. My heart tells me AHL lifer, but he's certainly been tearing up the AHL.

Sparks will no longer be exempt from waivers next season, and with the season he's had I'd be pretty surprised if some team didn't take a chance on him if the Leafs tried to send him back to the AHL.

What are the chances Sparks is our backup next season? I just can't figure out whether he's for real, or whether he's a AHL lifer sort of guy. My heart tells me AHL lifer, but he's certainly been tearing up the AHL.

Sparks will no longer be exempt from waivers next season, and with the season he's had I'd be pretty surprised if some team didn't take a chance on him if the Leafs tried to send him back to the AHL.

Sparks will be our back up next year, count on it. Part of the Don Dubas plan, promote the worthy from within. The chances of McBackup having that kind of season again are very slim. Gotta let the farm boys know there is a real chance to be a city slicker

He was coming off a long layoff, but Andrew Nielsen, filling in for Travis Dermott who is out day-to-day, played a lot like Martin Marincin’s detractors thinks he plays like.

He was heavily sheltered in the first and second until the score climbed out of reasonable reach. And then the Marlies were hemmed in a couple of times all on Nielsen shifts, even paired with AHL All-Star Vincent LoVerde.

Funny I texted my son who was at work, after Rosen's 2nd goal and said he was in Bobby Orr mode! Actually Rosen has been a pleasant surprise, showing some good defence and some great offence. Starts me thinking about the possibility of trading Gardner and getting something good for him.

But basically the Marlies had a dominant 1st period but couldn't beat Texas' goalie. Could have easily buried a couple there to take control of the game but didn't. After that Texas woke up and took advantage of some Marlies mistakes (Marincin with some uncharacteristic poor discipline and a bad turnover by Sparks are noted in the recap) and all of a sudden they were the ones in control.

But basically the Marlies had a dominant 1st period but couldn't beat Texas' goalie. Could have easily buried a couple there to take control of the game but didn't. After that Texas woke up and took advantage of some Marlies mistakes (Marincin with some uncharacteristic poor discipline and a bad turnover by Sparks are noted in the recap) and all of a sudden they were the ones in control.

But basically the Marlies had a dominant 1st period but couldn't beat Texas' goalie. Could have easily buried a couple there to take control of the game but didn't. After that Texas woke up and took advantage of some Marlies mistakes (Marincin with some uncharacteristic poor discipline and a bad turnover by Sparks are noted in the recap) and all of a sudden they were the ones in control.

So you're saying I should have skipped the Paul Simon concert cause obviously I was good luck and the Marlies were dominating as I watched and as soon as I stopped watching it all fell apart.

Pretty amazing season and how can you not love the emotion from Dubas raising that cup ? How thrilling would it be to see him raising the Stanley Cup ???!!!!!

I think any questions of whether or not he’s capable of putting together a championship winning team have been erased. There’s really only one question that remains. Can he do it with the big club and bring home Lord Stanley?

Travis Dermott made the call not to dress for Game 7 because of a shoulder injury. He says it was the toughest decision of his life â€” worse than choosing the OHL over NCAA, which he agonized over for months.

We hear a lot about how tough hockey players are for playing through injuries, but honestly making this call to not play through an injury at this point in time because you know it's the best thing for the team says a lot about Dermott.

Would have really stung if the team couldn't finish off this incredible season with a championship. Sure sounds like it was a pretty dominant game 7 effort.

Marlies were fairly dominant for long stretches but they also had some serious puck luck in the 2nd period. Texas had a bunch of chances when it was 2-0 that could have easily changed the game. One guy missed an entire open net, another puck just trickled to the post and almost went in. If Texas scored in the 2nd to make it 2-1 it could have been an entirely different outcome.

Travis Dermott made the call not to dress for Game 7 because of a shoulder injury. He says it was the toughest decision of his life â€” worse than choosing the OHL over NCAA, which he agonized over for months.

We hear a lot about how tough hockey players are for playing through injuries, but honestly making this call to not play through an injury at this point in time because you know it's the best thing for the team says a lot about Dermott.

I'm very pleased he put the team ahead of his pride. It was a shoulder injury that affected his strength and therefore capability. The Marlies played for everyone in the room and in the stands and everyone who came close before but couldn't take it across the line.

From Wheeler's profile on Sparks (https://theathletic.com/389756/2018/06/15/i-did-that-garret-sparks-five-year-destiny-ends-in-calder-cup-glory/), it's pretty clear what a great environment Dubas, Keefe, and the Marlies built. Everyone should have a friend like Calvin Pickard and be a friend like Calvin Pickard.

One thing that sorta stood out to be in what I watched and what I read is that while Liljegren had a good playoffs, he wasn't really leaned on at all. That's somewhat because of the two righties ahead of him (Holl and LoVerde), but I'd like to see him try and take the next step and become a go-to guy with the Marlies before graduating on to the Leafs. There's no need to rush him next season.

One thing that sorta stood out to be in what I watched and what I read is that while Liljegren had a good playoffs, he wasn't really leaned on at all. That's somewhat because of the two righties ahead of him (Holl and LoVerde), but I'd like to see him try and take the next step and become a go-to guy with the Marlies before graduating on to the Leafs. There's no need to rush him next season.

Listening to Leafs Geeks' Podcast I didn't realize that he's the youngest D-Man in the league by 18 months. I mean I can see why LoVerde & Holl were leaned on heavier.

One thing that sorta stood out to be in what I watched and what I read is that while Liljegren had a good playoffs, he wasn't really leaned on at all. That's somewhat because of the two righties ahead of him (Holl and LoVerde), but I'd like to see him try and take the next step and become a go-to guy with the Marlies before graduating on to the Leafs. There's no need to rush him next season.

Listening to Leafs Geeks' Podcast I didn't realize that he's the youngest D-Man in the league by 18 months. I mean I can see why LoVerde & Holl were leaned on heavier.

During the season, Liljegren was used as the 'safe' guy at times when paired with Rosen or Nielsen, according to Kevin Pappeti on PPP's latest podcast. He also hit a bit of a wall in the final third of the season (along with injury issues) but the regular season results were just about locked up for the Marlies by then.

Travis Dermott made the call not to dress for Game 7 because of a shoulder injury. He says it was the toughest decision of his life â€” worse than choosing the OHL over NCAA, which he agonized over for months.

We hear a lot about how tough hockey players are for playing through injuries, but honestly making this call to not play through an injury at this point in time because you know it's the best thing for the team says a lot about Dermott.

I'm very pleased he put the team ahead of his pride. It was a shoulder injury that affected his strength and therefore capability. The Marlies played for everyone in the room and in the stands and everyone who came close before but couldn't take it across the line.

From Wheeler's profile on Sparks (https://theathletic.com/389756/2018/06/15/i-did-that-garret-sparks-five-year-destiny-ends-in-calder-cup-glory/), it's pretty clear what a great environment Dubas, Keefe, and the Marlies built. Everyone should have a friend like Calvin Pickard and be a friend like Calvin Pickard.

â€śI'll remember this forever. It wouldnâ€™t mean nearly as much without the amazing group of guys. I was gone for a lot of the year but these guys kept doing their thing. I put all my trust in their hands sitting out. I wasnâ€™t going to regret it.â€ť - Travis Dermott

So Johnsson led the playoffs with a ridiculous 24 points in 16 games, that's 1.5 points per game. You have to go all the way back to the 2008 AHL playoffs to find a leading scorer who scored more than that. That was Jason Krog, who scored 38 points in 24 games. And Krog was 31 years old when he did.